Moving In
by pealee
Summary: A lazy evening of Chinese takeout and cuddling leads to talk of moving in together. OS


Authors Note: Again major thank you goes to Steffi (applesandcherries) for beta reading and giving me major love on this story!

Please review! I'd love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: I always forget this oops! And yeah I wish it was mine!

Moving In

They lay snuggled together on her couch, soft jazz music flowing through the quite space from her iPod dock. Empty Chinese cartons left on the coffee table. They lay in comfortable silence enjoying the soft music, the soft sounds of breathing and the relaxation of each other's arms.

"You know you have a nice apartment. But how does a detective afford such a place?" Rick asked quietly. He was always generally curious how she afforded such an amazing apartment on a cop's salary.

Kate chuckled softly at his question. "I'm actually a trust fund baby." She replied with a cocky grin and kissed his cheek when he quirked an eyebrow. "My mom and dad started it soon after I was born. Both sets of grandparents also contributed to the fund. When my mom died I received half of her estate, dad put it in the trust. I never touched it, always thought of it as her money. But after my apartment blew up a few years back, dad freaked and highly insisted that I actually use it to get an apartment with more security. So I dipped into the trust, brought this and furnished it."

Rick lifted his head from the throw pillow they were sharing and took a glance around the living area. "It's a cool place."

"Yeah but it's not home."

"What do you mean, it's not home. This is your home. You designed it, made it yours." Rick was confused as to why she wouldn't consider this her home.

"Your place is a home, Rick. I don't have a home. I have an apartment." At Rick's obvious bewilderment, Kate continued. "You come home to a warm apartment with the sounds of your mother and daughter laughing in the kitchen while preparing a homemade meal. You curl up on the couch and watch movies with them and have popcorn and ice cream. When I come home to here, I have a cold, dark, silent apartment with takeout. Your loft has a family my apartment doesn't."

Rick had no idea Kate felt this away about her home. In recent months she hadn't been spending that much time here to begin with, only to run up to grab more clothes or what baffled him more, was how she could have more shoes still here, when his closet was overrun with her shoes at his loft. He pulled her a bit closer.

"Kate, you have a family. You have your father. He's your blood family. You have me, Alexis and Mother as your family and you have Kevin, Javi and Lanie as your extended family." He kissed her so softly she barely had time to process it before he pulled away.

"I know. I know that I have you and your family and our friends. It's just…this never felt like home. You know?"

"Over the past few weeks, Kate, there's been something I've been thinking about and now seems like a good time to bring it up. My loft isn't the same. Alexis is at college; she only comes home during breaks or when she needs me, which isn't often anymore. And Mother has her own place now. She pops in every once in a while as you know, but she's moved out. It's not the same. And I'm thinking now that it should change into something different."

Kate pulled back slightly to be able to look at him more fully. "What do mean?" Kate's heart was racing. She knew what he was suggesting. And even though she was practically there day and night, making it official was a big step.

"I don't like hearing you say you don't feel like you have a home. You have a great place here Kate. And I know you love what you've made here. And I want what you've made here to feel like home."

Kate was puzzled. Did he want her to stop spending so much time at the loft? Move her things back here?

"I don't understand what you mean? You want me to move my things back here and stay here more?" Kate was pleased with herself when her voice didn't shake.

Rick blinked, "No! Oh no, not like that, Kate. I want more of my things here in your place. I want to make your apartment a home with you." Rick took in a deep breath. Was she ready for this, one place for two people? Did she want him to move in with her?

"I thought the girl usually moves in with the guy?" Kate replied with a sly smile, because she was still grasping what he said.

Rick chuckled, "When have we ever done anything the normal way?"

Kate cocked her head as if in thought. "Hmmm, well there was that one time….hm, no you're right, we haven't"

They shared a small laugh as he pulled her back closer to him.

"What about your loft. I love your loft. And Alexis grew up there."

"Alexis is an adult now. She'll graduate in a couple years and have her own place. And I brought the loft and tried to make it a home with Meredith and Gina. I want to make my home with you. Here in your home. There's plenty of room to grow into." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she let out a shaky laugh.

"Wow, don't be subtle about it, Rick."

"You know what I want, Kate. I know you want it, too. One step at a time."

"I do. So what, are you gonna just sell your loft and move here? Just like that?" Kate played with the button on his wrinkled button down.

"Well, I'll keep it for now, it's payed off. We can keep it for storage. And once we're settled, I'll sell it."

"Wow, that is sly, Mr. Castle."

"What do you mean?"

"Keeping your apartment for backup, just in case. Don't deny it, that's your plan. Admit it." Her voice was deadpanned, but the soft glimmer in her eye told him she was joking.

"I don't need a backup plan, Kate. People have backup plans when they don't trust and love what they have. And I do, trust and love you."

She let a laugh and pulled him in for a kiss. It was more laugh and teeth than lips and tongue.

"So, when do you plan on overtaking my place?" Kate asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"This weekend?" Rick asked hopefully.

"We're on call but we can start moving stuff over."

"Yeah we'll have to get a U-Haul truck to get your shoes back over here!"

"Oh come on, I don't have that many!" Kate playfully slapped his chest, knowing he was right, so right.

They laid in silence again. Just enjoying it and thinking over how it went from a simple dinner at her place after coming over to pick up more shoes and clothes to him moving in here, to her apartment with her.

"There's just one thing Kate."

"Hmmm…"

"We've got to do something about the purple comforter on your bed…"

FIN

*Anyone who saw Paley Fest should get the purple reference


End file.
